


Promise You'll Hold My Hand

by LilLegalLoli94



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Childhood Friends, Episodic chapters but I promise they're going somewhere, Eventual Fluff, F/F, F/M, Isekai, Original Character(s), Transported to another world, more tags to be added later, trying really hard not to spoil anything
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-09 02:29:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17993135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilLegalLoli94/pseuds/LilLegalLoli94
Summary: Lost and alone in this new world, you held your hand out to me. You asked me to place my faith in you. You asked me to place my faith in us. For that promise, I'll keep going for you.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since the last time I posted Pokemon fanfiction with original characters but I've have this one in the works and I'm very eager to share this one. To keep from spoiling major plot points, the tags are a bit bare compared to what I have planned out, but I hope you'll bear with me.

All know the feeling of deafening submergence. We are conceived in it and we are born from it. And after we have lived out our lives, we return to it. We don’t know when we are to depart from this state, or if we ever do. We only know of that floating sensation that lasts for seemingly eternity.

One such soul floated on this line between life and death, unbeknownst to her which side she would take. Her consciousness was barely there, barely feeling or noticing anything beyond the abyss of nothingness; questioning if she was even there at all. And then, a breakthrough, a decisive shift in the emptiness of the void that determined her destination.

A bright light filled her vision, overtaking the darkness accompanied by a voice, “Young soul still inexperienced and new, what unfortunate events that have brought you to this place.” it echoed, it’s voice filling the empty space.

“What is this place?” the soul asked.

“A starting line and an end point. Although, for you, I would say the former best suits your current situation.”

 _My current situation_ she thought internally, her mind referring back to the voice’s first words, “But wait, what did you mean by ‘unfortunate events’? Are you saying that I died? Then… shouldn’t this be the end?”

“In normal circumstances, but your circumstances aren’t normal. You see, you are needed elsewhere, in a world far different than your own… and yet somewhat familiar.”

“But why me? Why send me?”

“I cannot answer that, but, in due time, it’ll all become clear to you.”

The light began to fluctuate, flashing blindingly and dimming in intervals. “What’s going on??” she questioned in an alarmed tone.

“It seems your time here is up. When you awaken, you’ll find yourself in this world in a vessel that befits you. I wish you the best of luck on your quest.”

The light became brighter, overwhelming brighter as it consumed her. “Wait! Don’t just end it so vaguely! Say it so I understand! Hey!!” her voice shouted without response as her consciousness vanished from the space.

***

Abruptly, her eyes opened to the sky, gasping as she awoke from what seemed like a dream. She found herself laying with her back against a forest floor with the sun shining down into her eyes. Uncomfortably so as they squinted at the bright light. _What am I doing sleeping in a place like this?_ she questioned as she brought her hand up to shield her face. Or, at least, what was supposed to be her hand, but what she found instead was a golden paw blocking the sun from her face. It took her a moment to take notice of the appendage, turning it slowly and wiggling the little toes until she realized it was her doing making the paw move.

Her eyes widened as she shot up from her downed position. _N-No way_ , she felt up and down her body, feeling the soft fur against her paw pads. She grabbed at the fluffy tail lying behind her and the ears that stood upright on her head. _Nonononono_ she screamed internally, beginning to run down the beaten forest trail, too focused on her own panic to realize she was running on four legs instead of two.

The trail led her to a flowing stream, where upon the water’s surface she could see what she had become, “IT MADE ME A FENNEKIN?!” she screamed loudly as she stared down at the reflection with a terrified look in her eyes.

“Would you keep it down? Some of us are asleep at this hour.” an owl, or noctowl in this case, called down to her from her tree hollow, looking bothered and a bit cranky.

“S-Sorry…” she called back instinctively, it only coming as a second thought that she was even speaking to a noctowl.

She took a second glance into the water, her expression deescalating from shock to distressed and disturbed. Her head tilted from one side to the next, her mind willing the muscles in her tall ear to flick downward to test the feeling. _No doubt, that’s really me in there…_ her face drooped as she came to the conclusion, but the expression did not last as she came to a possibility she had overlooked. _No, wait. Maybe I’m still asleep. Right, that could be it. I’m just dream,_ she thought. However, at the same time, she wasn’t one hundred percent certain, and, hence, left her current situation in an ambiguous state.

There was one way she could find out for certain: the flowing stream with its cool, refreshing water beckoned her to utilize it and test her theory. If this truly was a dream, then there would be no harm in placing her head under the water and breathing it like a fish. A simple solution for a complicated problem. Without a second thought, she pushed her head under the running current, remaining under for five seconds, then ten and thirty but not finding it any easier to breath. It was actually becoming difficult, maybe a little suffocating. It was a couple more seconds until she realized she couldn’t breathe at all before bursting her head from the surface.

“Not a dream! It’s not a dream!!” she coughed, some of the water getting into her lungs at the end of it.

***

“So, I’m not dreaming… and I’ve really become a fennekin. I see what it meant by new but familiar now.” she mumbled as she wandered through the forest, taking the time alone to think aloud to herself and get her bearings on her predicament. “But pokemon are only supposed to exist in video games, how can I just be put in their world? Don’t tell me it made me the protagonist or something, I can’t deal with that kind of pressure…” she breathed out a heavy sigh as her eyes watched the blades of grass passing by her, along with the little stubs that pressed against them, “Why me…?” she groaned.

In her own little pity party state, she had lost track of the world and her surroundings, hardly noticing the little gathering of zangooses up ahead or the zangoose that was crouched right in front of her path. Of course, she smacked herself right into his backside, calling her back to reality.

“Oh, sorry.” she apologized as she moved around the zangoose to continue walking on.

The follow up action was left incomplete, however, as the zangoose’s clawed hand found itself pressed firmly against her head, “Hey, squirt. You think you can just assault me and walk away like it was nothing?” he asked, turning her head to look at him.

 _Assault?_ she questioned, “It was just an accident. I wasn’t looking where I was going, and I apologized for it.” she defended as her eyes looked away.

“Nah, man. I saw it with my own eyes, you came right at him trying to start something with us.” one of his friends chimed in with his unwanted two-sense.

“Right? I oughta rip you to shreds for thinking you can come at me from behind like that. But lucky you, I’m feeling generous. I’ll forget your little attack for, say, 500 coins.” he smirked, his true intentions finally showing.

 _Is this a shakedown?!_ she began to tremble and shake, never having to deal with violent situations like these before, “I… I don’t have anything on me though…” she tried moving away, but his hold on her was still strong.

“Oh? So you want to do this the hard way, then?” the zangoose asked as he began to reach his second hand over to her.

Her eyes widened as her body filled with an urge to protect herself and a fire that built up in her chest. “L-Let me go!” she called out as her body spat out little pieces of fire from her mouth into his face, making him coil back to put out the flames on his fur.

“Now you really done it, squirt…” his teeth clenched, his voice carrying so much resentment for the little fennekin that dared to fight back.

With an excessive amount of force, his hand pushed against the back of her neck, pushing her down into the grass. She let out a yelp before her eyes looked back at the zangoose looming over her helpless body.

“You wanted a fight, right? Let’s fight.” he spoke menacingly, his claws lighting up as he prepared to slash into her.

Her eyes closed tightly, bracing for the impact but finding that it never came. Above her, the zangoose was hit against his back, force palmed off her and sent tumbling into a nearby tree trunk with a hard thud. Her eyes opened slowly, finding a new figure in front of her, shielding her from the angry zangooses.

“Again with this? Haven’t you jerks learned to pick on someone your own size?” a riolu spoke up to them, standing up for the frighten fennekin.

“You brat…” the tossed zangoose growled as his friends began to surround the two with claws and fangs bared, leaving him to cut off their exit, “You’ll pay for that cheap shot.” he readied his own claws as he began to close in.

“When I give the signal, run.” the riolu whispered, bringing her to attention.

 _What is she planning when we’re outnumbered and surrounded?_ she questioned but did not reject her direction.

“Now! Sand Attack!” she shouted as she threw sand into the lead zangoose’s eyes, leaving him momentarily blinded.

“Sonova-!” the zangoose exclaimed as he furiously rubbed his eyes.

Immediately, the two took off, running past the zangoose quickly.

“Don’t just stand there! Get ‘em!!” the zangoose shouted, his eyes watering and red, still barely able to see out of them.

At his word, the zangoose began to chase after them, the sound of their feet behind luring the fennekin’s head to look.

“Don’t look back!” the riolu warned her before she could turn her head completely, keeping her attention on her savior.

The two weaved through the trees and thickets, their escape route almost maze like as they worked to lose the gang of zangoose.

“In here.” she said with a more hushed tone, careful not to let her voice carry as the two ducked into a fragrant bush of small red fruit.

The zangooses were none the wiser, running right past them in their pursuit, leaving them officially lost.

“I think we’ll be safe in here, but we should wait until the coast is clear.” the riolu stated as her eyes looked towards the direction of their fading footsteps, “But man, you really had a close call there-” she stopped herself as she saw the tears welling up in the fennekin’s eyes and falling down her face.

She began to panic slightly, her voice growing more frantic, “W-whoa, hey! What’s wrong?? Did they hurt you anywhere?” she asked, tilting her head down to look at her face.

Her lips pursed tightly, her head shaking a firm ‘no’.

“Then why are you crying...?” the riolu asked, her tone growing more worried.

“That…that was really scary… I thought he was really going to rip me apart…” she cried, sobbing and sniffling as the tears ran down her cheeks.

She watched her cry silently before starting to rub her back, “Yea, I bet. But it’s okay now, you’re safe.” she said in an effort to comfort her, but her words had little effect as she continued to hiccup and sniffle away. Her eyes looked around at the bush, finding a nice, plump cluster of fruit. 

“What’s that...?” the fennekin asked softly.

“Try it, it’s very good.” she offered with a smile. “Here, see?” she picked off one, popping it into her mouth before smiling with glee as her face filled with exaggerated delight. “It’s really yummy, it’ll surely turn that frown into a smile real fast.” she explained, her hand now insisting that she try one.

The crying fox looked down at it, staring for a moment before taking a hesitant bite. With just a minimal amount of pressure from her tongue, the fruit burst with its juices, filling her mouth with its sweet nectar.

“See? It’s good, right?” she asked, confident in knowing the other's answer before she could even say it.

“Really good!” she answered, her voice now cheery as she smiled from ear to ear while taking another bite.

“There’s the smile.” her hand pressed against her head, petting her gently between her large ears.

She looked towards the riolu, her cheeks gaining a pink shade as she realized just how embarrassing her face looked being so happy all over the taste of a good snack. She turned away slightly to hide the flustered expression.

The riolu couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight, “So, what’s your name?”

“My name?” she asked in affirmation, turning her gaze to her only slightly.

“Yea. Oh, I guess I should go first if I’m asking. My name is Emizella.”

“Emizella? Then… my name is Crystal.”

The two remained in a shared silence for a while after that, a bit of the tension relieved in the fact that they now knew each other’s names. So, although they continued to consume the bush's fruit in silence, it was a comfortable silence, a soothing silence with only the crunch and squish of the juices and seeds filling the air.

Emizella was the first to break this silence, their bellies now full and hunger sated.

“They should have forgotten all about us by now. We ought to be getting home.” she stated, raising up to her feet and stretching out her arms and legs. “Where do you live? I’ll be your personal escort.” her offer came with a soft pat at her chest in assurance.

Crystal’s eyes looked up at her briefly before averting her gaze. How do you tell someone you just met you’re homeless because you’re not from this world? _Kinda like that, but less details_ , she concluded with a soft sigh.

“I don’t really… have a home. At least not yet.” she spoke hesitantly, trying not to make herself out to be too much of a charity case. Then again, if she wasn’t a classifiable charity case in this situation, what was?

Emizella looked confused for a moment, leaning closer so she could really hear her, “What do you mean by that? You mean you don’t have a place to sleep?”

 _Pretty much_ , “I said ‘not yet’. I’m sure I can manage something for tonight… Oh! I can sleep here.” her body flopped to the ground, rolling into the dirt as she tried to find herself a comfortable sleeping position. But it was a bit difficult with the fallen twigs and rocks and the smell of the fermenting fruit that fell long before they had arrived.

Emizella couldn’t take watching her obvious discomfort for much longer, “Nope, nuh-uh. After all that you really think I’d leave you to sleep here? This is clubhouse material _at best_ , not house-house material.”

“Then what would you suggest?” Crystal asked as she sat herself up.

“Just come to my place. Unlike here, it’s actually prepared to be used to sleep in.”

She didn’t want to assume she could just ask to crash at her place. After rescuing her from a gang of zangoose, dealing with her crying and comforting her afterwards, it felt like she was imposing a lot from a riolu she met just a couple of hours ago.

Even if it was for only a few hours, Emizella felt like she could read her like a book. It was easy to tell what she was thinking and just as easy to tell what she needed to hear. “Look, I’ve already invested this much. If I just leave you now, knowing that you don’t have a place to sleep, I’m going to be kicking myself all night. And then _I’m_ not going to be able to sleep.” The bit of emphasis added was more for Crystal's emotional benefit than anything else.

The light smile that showed on her white muzzle told her that it worked.

“So, don’t go worrying about your manners and pleasantries. Worry about yourself and rely on someone you can trust, like me.” a wide smile spread across her face, dripping with friendliness and reliability. A paw extended towards her, a promise of support and dependability in the gesture.

A beat passed, contemplation passing in the fennekin’s eyes. But she took her paw nonetheless, her own smaller, golden paw resting on the padding as Emizella pulled her gently into a standing position. With that returned paw, she agreed to place her trust in her, accept her support without complaint and worry about herself just a bit more.


	2. Chapter 2

 “Well, here we are.” Emizella’s voice cut through the thick leaves and vines that acted as a doorway into a small clearing, her small clearing. She made a gesture to allow Crystal inside first, holding the entryway open for her before following inside.

They had to travel off the beaten path of the forest to make it here, cutting through barbed bushes and briar patches. Her fur was covered in thorns and spiny balls that hung off the hairs. It was worth it to have someplace safe to retreat to, Emizella had told her while she led the way, skillfully ducking and dodging the branches. It seemed that she had committed this prickly path to her muscle memory as she hardly looked where she was going to make sure Crystal was still following behind.

But it was all worth it. The clearing itself was quite green and thorn free, the brightly colored grass feeling soft and soothing under her paws. The canopy above let the saturated orange of the sunset sprinkle in through the gaps in the leaves, leaving soft speckles of light littering the floor. There was a small opening put into that canopy, looking less natural and more like the whim of the resident. In the center of the clearing was a dug out pit and, judging by the old, burnt up wood and ashes, it was frequently used as a fireplace. And, near that, was a pile of large leaves and grasses, soft once but constant pressure and use made it look quite compacted; her bed, she assumed.

“It isn’t much but make yourself at home. I’ll get your bed together.” she said, plucking the last of the thorns from her guest's body before walking over to the edge of her lair to collect her supplies.

Crystal’s eyes continued to wander every corner and angle of this den, it was plenty spacious for her smaller body, but she wondered if she might be making the space a bit more cramped. She had to physically shake that thought away, _worry about myself_ , she repeated the promise once before relaxing her body.

“How long have you lived here?” she asked, nothing better for breaking the ice than a bit of conversation.

“Um…” she thought about it for a moment, “’bout 4 or 5 months?”

“By yourself?” she was taken back by her answer, wasn’t she supposed to be a kid or something?

“Nobody else around.” she simply shrugged her shoulders as her arms pulled up a generous collection of vegetation.

Crystal’s eyes followed Emizella as she transported the materials and set them down beside her own bed with a nice plop. She wanted to ask more, curious about her living situation and why she was out here by herself but feared that it might lead to too personal information. Personal information reserved for more intimate and well-known relationships.

Emizella’s paws arranged the leaves over the grasses, trying to fluff it out and make it look nice. She gave her a brief glance before turning her eyes downward again, letting out a soft chuckle.

“You really don’t need to hold back, you know.” Emizella stated, a brow raised and knowing smirk on her lips.

Crystal’s body stiffened, ears lowering in uncertainty, “I mean… we are still practically strangers, aren’t we?” she asked.

She let out an exaggerated gasp, “After all I’ve done, you still call me a stranger? How cruel.” A paw hung over her face, hiding away her tears, or rather, lack thereof.

“That wasn’t what I-”

“I’m just messing with you.” she chuckled, walking closer to Crystal before pressing a digit into her nose slightly, “You’re making it far too easy…and way too fun.”

Her white jaw hung for a moment before a pout pressed onto her lips, Emizella's teasing nature not going as appreciated with her victim.

“There we go, now why don’t you get us a fire started. You can use Ember, right?” the riolu asked as she pulled away.

 _So that’s what that was,_ she gave a silent nod, her jaws relaxing once more.

“Great! I’ll see about our food situation.”

And with that, she turned away towards the opposite side of the clearing, leaving Crystal to deal with putting together their fire for the night. Her paws tread over to the small fire pit before looking over at the pile of accumulated wood gathered as fuel. She picked up one of the sticks before looking over at the burnt-up ashes from the assumed previous night. Quite honestly, she wasn’t sure what she was doing. Was she supposed to clear out the ashes first? Was she supposed to just put the new wood on top? She wasn’t even sure if she had ever been camping before now!

Her eyes looked back briefly at Emizella, seeing her chopping away on top of a stone slab before looking back at her own job. She already seemed so capable on her own, it compelled Crystal to wonder why she was living like this in the first place. Idly, she poked away at the charred pieces of wood, breaking and crumbling them down into a larger mess of ash within the stone circle.

 _I could always just ask, right? I mean, if she really doesn’t want to talk about it, she could always say no. But then, what if it makes things awkward?_ She sighed to herself, _I can’t make things awkward, she’s the closest thing to a friend I have here._

“How’s that fire coming along?” Emizella called out, pulling Crystal out of her thoughts abruptly.

“It’s coming!” she called back hurriedly as she piled the wood into the circle. Screw not knowing what she was doing, she needed to get something burning and a flame going.

A few minor adjustments to keep the sticks within the stones and she had a base of fuel going for her. Now all she needed was a spark, or her Ember as Emizella referred to it. So, new question, how does she even use Ember? How _did_ she use Ember before? She wracked her brain as she tried to remember the first time she spat speckles of fire from her mouth, taking a second to appreciate that she never thought she would ever have to recall ever doing something like that and not be on hallucinogens.

 _Focus,_ she willed her mental train to redirect itself on a more important track, _okay, I was scared, cornered and desperate… and then, there was a burning feeling in my chest that I had to let out and there it was. Burning feeling, burning,_ she concentrated on the feeling, trying to replicate the sensation in her chest. She took in a breath, holding it as she fixated on the memory of heat filling her body. When she felt she had it, she forced it out, admittedly somewhat reminiscent of letting out a belch.

Her eyes were closed, so she was not for certain she had achieved it. She would have checked for it herself first, but a firm pat on the back beat her to the punch.

“Nice going.” Emizella’s voice accompanied the swift smack, “Leave it to a fire type to know how to make a good fire. Couldn’t have done it better myself.”

Crystal’s eyes peered open to look as the blazing flame, already licking towards the sky as the breeze pushed it into a swaying dance. She may not have been accustomed to being a fire pokemon yet, but it felt good to be praised for her first conscious attempt. But then it hit her, “Are you just saying that to stroke my ego?”

“Depends, did it work?” she responded with a playful smirk dancing on her lips.

Her sunset orange eyes avoided the riolu’s cocky gaze, knowing that, if she’d look, she’d see a pair of wiggling brows to go with that smug expression in her eyes. “… maybe…” she relented in a soft murmur.

The other chuckled softly, kneeling in front of the fire to start cooking their meal. “Seriously, you have to stop. Otherwise, I’ll have to keep you.”

“Keep?” the fennekin’s head tilted in a perplexed expression.

“Ah, just a joke. Don’t think about it too deeply.” she looked back from her work, a bit of a blush on her face as she realized the implications of the words she strung together in that particular order. She cleared her throat as well as the flustered hint on her cheeks, “Anyways, dinner will be ready in just a sec, so sit tight.”

Crystal’s eyes watched her silently, not missing a beat as she stared at each shift in her expression. She may have liked to tease the little fox about her “funny” reactions, but she couldn’t help but think she had a bit of a cute flustered look herself. _At least things are a bit more equal in that regard_ , she couldn’t help but think with the slightest hint of a smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

***

“So then, about our food situation,” the two had settled down after the meal, the fire put out and the stars slowly littering the darkening sky one by one, “…we might have to stop into town to get some supplies for two. Not really prepped for another mouth, you know.”

Crystal turned slightly on her side, laying on the leafy nest her host had so graciously thrown together for her. “Sorry about that.”

Emizella let out a soft chuckle, “Don’t be. I’m the one that invited you to stay. Besides, if you’re going to live in this forest, you ought to see the village.”

“There’s a village out here?”

“A small one, but yeah. It’s nothing glamorous like the capital or remarkable like the city, but the pokemon there are nice folk. Plus, it has this ancient monument and-” she cut herself off as she noticed herself starting to ramble off, “Actually, might be better for you to see it for yourself.” she concluded with an excited smile on her face.

Crystal’s eyes stared back at the grin, returning the friendly gesture with a soft nod of her head. She watched as the other's crimson eyes turn back to the sky, watching careful to see each dim light finding the courage to shine brightly with its brethren. She turned her own eyes to watch with her, staring past the gaping hole in the canopy. She wondered what the riolu was thinking when she stared up at the stars, wondered what thoughts crossed her mind when she was alone and what thoughts were crossing it now. She figured it was alright not to know what those inspirations were, but there was still the lingering question made heavier with the new revelation of knowledge.

“Why are you out here by yourself?” her voice was soft as she tentatively broke through the silent.

“Why?” Emizella's eyes didn’t move from their place, letting out a soft hum as she put together the words in her head, “Ever heard of Adventurers?”

“Adventurers?” she could easily distinguish what they were based on the title but wondered if it was as simple as the name implied.

“You seriously haven’t??” her tone gave away her ignorance way too easily, calling for Emizella to shoot up from her position abruptly with the grasses and leaves of her nest clinging to her grey and cerulean fur. Her eyes stared closely into Crystal’s, inching into her face as she searched for a mirthful cue in her gaze. She found none, “Really…? Just what were you doing before running into that zangoose gang?”

All she could do was laugh nervously in response.

“Adventurers are like… the most sought-after profession. They’re like the everyday hero. They perform rescue mission, escorts and explorative expeditions in unmarked territories.” Her eyes watched the other’s face, looking for some shred of recognition, or, if not recognition, then amazed excitement at the prospect of the career. Unfortunately, she found neither. She only found the continuing state of perplexed confusion still lingering on her face. “L-Look, it’s, like, really hard to give it justice with words. It’ll be easier to just show you.” she decided in an affirmative tone as she threw herself back onto the green bed with a soft, cushioned thud.

Crystal’s eyes stared at her silently, _is she going to bed already?_ But she did seem like the kind to believe in the whole “early to bed, early to rise” and the entirety of the morning person philosophy. She laid herself down, finding a comfortable position amongst the leaves. It would be better to just fall asleep just like the only other pokemon here. But her mind still felt so full, a predominate thought constantly blared loudly in her head: _Why am I here?_

As she closed her eyes, forcing them to remain closed as she waited for sleep to take over, she hoped for a second chance at the one responsible for her predicament. She hoped to be back in the timeless space, floating in that blank nothingness, and give that know-it-all voice a piece of her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so here are the first couple of chapters I had been working on. Can't say when the next one will be out, just that I'll be slowly chipping away when I can.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to part three of introducing the characters and the world they live in! Gotta get business taken care of before delving deep into the story, but I hope you don't find it insufferable or boring. I've been having too much fun drawing the characters so that made finishing and proofreading take longer than planned but I hope you'll enjoy it.

She had gotten her wish.

Late into the night, past the point of feigned slumber and far within the state of deep sleep, Crystal found herself surrounded by that familiar light. Floating in the empty abyss, her gaze wandered around her surroundings. Perhaps she might see something this time if she were to pay attention. After all, this time she wasn’t being sucker punched into a new reality. But, even now, she still saw nothing, no matter which direction she faced the unending horizon.

She felt a frustrated sigh leave her lips, despite the lack of physical lungs to produce the breath or the lips to release it. However, this was still her chance to clear things up a bit.

“I know you’re out there! Are you getting a bit shy now that I’m not caught up in a stunned stupor?” she called out into the blank space, her intangible form spinning to catch the direction of its response.

“Such insolence!” There wasn’t much of a direction to it. It was more like the voice and the surrounding area were one and the same, shaking Crystal at her core. “I sensed you calling out for us and yet I’m greeted with rude impatience… Of course they had to pick a mortal lacking in any manners…”

For a form without any facial muscles, she still felt her brows furrowing in an incredulous look, “Excuse you?? I wasn’t the one who asked for this?!”

“Yes, yes, you’re incredibly ungrateful for this blessed second chance. However-”

“Hold on… your voice sounds different. Where’s the first guy?”

“Guy…? Oh, don’t be fooled. They have much more important things to be doing than answering such trivial calls. I doubt you’ll speak again unless the situation is dire.”

_So, there’s more than one person here,_ she hid her thoughts away from the mysterious being, still unsure if she could even trust them. However, from the patronizing tone this one used, she was definitely sure they rubbed her the wrong way.

“Now then, as I was saying before you so rudely interrupted, time moves at a different pace here. So, despite what you believe, we haven’t much time for ‘pleasantries.’ Speak quickly: what do you want?”

She felt the need to bite down onto her lips to at least try to hide a snarl. But, even if she did make a threatening gesture, would the voice even be able to perceive it? Part of her hoped that it could.

 “What I _want_ are answers. What is the point of all this? Why was I put there? And what are you hiding from me?” That time, she couldn’t hide the growl that crept into her voice.

“Is that really all you wanted to ask? How bothersome, and such a waste of time. I’m certain you’ve already been told this but it isn’t time for such revelations. You’ll find the answers… eventually. But, for now, just focus on acclimating into that world.”

It was needless to say that Crystal was quite disgruntled by the unhelpful response, but there was little she could do to force the answers out of them.

“Fine then, but could you at least give me some basic knowledge of this place? I’m going to come across as a daft hermit going around not knowing what basically everyone else does!” she called out indignantly as she recalled her earlier embarrassing incident with Emizella just before bed.

“The basics… All right, that I can do for you.” the voice responded. The glow of the temporary plane brightened for a moment before dying back to its usual state. “There, it is done.”

She was silent for a moment, rummaging about in her mind, “I don’t feel any different.”

“The knowledge will be there once you wake up on that side. And, speaking of which, it seems that our time together has run out.” The lights began to flicker again, reminiscent of the instance just before she woke up in the forest. “Try to refrain from coming back here unless you have a real emergency, okay?”

_Yeah, yeah, fuck you too,_ the voice most certainly, most definitely, rubbed her the wrong way.

***

To say Crystal had woken up on the wrong side of the bed would be the understatement of the century. The first voice may have been annoyingly cryptic, but at least it wasn’t a patronizing, belittling jerk-wad. Actually, she was starting to think the first one might not have been all that bad to begin with. Sure, nothing they said made any sense at all, but it was, at the very least, a hint more sympathetic with her plight.

While she was awake, she hadn’t yet opened her eyes, choosing to wallow in a state of relaxed rest for just a little longer. So, despite her closed eyes, she was still aware of her surroundings. She was aware of the soft grasses that cushioned her sleep. She was aware of the growing gentle chirps and melodies starting to fill the air. She was aware of the softly snoring breath tickling her ears. Actually, she might had been more acutely aware of a firm hold wrapped around her body above all else.

Sensing that some of those things weren’t quite as ordinary as the others, her eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the early morning hues and steadily accumulating brightness. And what was the first thing she saw that morning? A masked bed intruder sleeping soundly right next to her, looking peacefully unaware of the predicament she had placed her guest.

Immediately, Crystal’s lips pursed together, holding back a startled screech and letting it unleash in the confines of her mind.

_Since when- How long has she been here??_ How could she have possibly guessed that her hostess was one to slip into her guest’s nest or that she was one to snuggle and hug warm bodies in her sleep? What kind of mental preparation could there even be for something like this? Should she try to escape before she woke up? Her body did a little wiggle, testing the grip Emizella had on her small frame. Not only was there very little wiggle room, but she also managed to make that range even tighter with her moving around, a soft squeak escaping her from the squeeze.

_Great, leave it to a fighting type like her to have a grip of steel._ A defeated sigh left her lips as she relaxed in the hold, and, in turn, the hold relaxed on her. She figured she had woken up to worst things before, although she didn’t have any memories to back it up. However, the arms that wrapped around her were warm and comforting and, dare she admit, nice. Surely something like this was a good deal of a distance away from the worst.

With the grip around her so firm and unyielding, the smaller, more delicately framed fennekin had little other option than to wait for the other to release her on her own accord. And, judging by how desperately her arms clung to her, Crystal doubted she’d do so before waking up.

_She’ll wake up by herself soon enough. She seems like an early riser._ She trusted her assumption as she closed her eyes to better focus on her own thoughts, more specifically on her situation. Focusing on what she knew and did not know.

She didn’t know who she was before the first voice spoke to her, an already strongly established fact. A fact that she still couldn’t get over no matter how many times she repeated it in her mind. What was she supposed to say if anyone asked about where she came from? _I can’t remember my past before I met Emizella,_ but that sounded way too convenient and suspicious. Everyone knew even the most basic crook wasn’t above playing the amnesia card. _It’s none of your business where I came from,_ but that sounded even worse than the first option! _Maybe I’ll just luck out and no one will ask._ A long shot idea, but, if she could be so fortunate, then it was the best she had.

Before she could delve any deeper, she felt a shift from her hostess’s arms, the body snuggling close to her stirring to life. Despite the change, Crystal elected to keep her eyes closed. She didn’t want Emizella thinking she had been watching her sleep this whole time, that would just be weird followed by some awkward explaining.

“GAH!” she heard a surprised yelp followed by the abrupt removal of the two coiled limbs.

That was when she decided to open her eyes, pretending that she had just woken up and feigning ignorance.

“Emizella…? You alright?” she asked, eyes fluttering and adding a bit of a forced yawn for good measure. She hoped it didn’t sound too forced.

The pair of now fully awake crimson eyes blinked as Emizella processed her escape route from the embarrassing situation, “N-nothing,” her voice squeaked before she cleared her throat.

There was a war going on in the facial muscles of Crystal’s mouth, a hard-fought battle against the snicker daring to break through her walls of restraint and the laws of courtesy. Luckily for her, she won this battle, but felt the war was far from over.

“Anyway…” the riolu rubbed away her nerves, flattening the hairs that stood at the back of her neck, “So, for breakfast, I was thinking we could go to the café in the village. You know, let you get used to the place first.”

“There’s a café?” her body lifted up quickly at the idea.

“Well, a small one,” Emizella was quick to define the business before she got her guest’s hopes too worked up, “But their pancakes are delicious! Like, Mrs. B must had gone on some kinda pilgrimage to make pancakes that good. Oh, Mrs. Brooklyn is the owner. She runs the café with her family so it’s got a bit of a homey vibe.”

“I like pancakes.” she responded with a bit of a chuckle, “And… ‘homey’ cafés.”

“Great! Let’s get going before the breakfast rush gets in!” she insisted upon their swift departure, walking closer to the entryway of the hide out to hold the vines open for the little fox.

And, with a quick, affirmative nod of her head, Crystal followed closely behind.

***

The village was not as far of a walk from Emizella’s hideaway as Crystal expected. She would have thought there’d be a bit of a hike and a half to reach this aforementioned village hidden away in the trees of this forest, but it wasn’t even half a hike.

“See that archway? The village is just beyond that.” her guide pointed a digit at the constructed arch that provided a window into the clearing the settlement rested.

_That wasn’t even ten minutes!_ “Emizella… are you originally from there?”

Her head tilted back, “Yeah, why?” she asked with such innocent ignorance, as if Crystal was the odd one for asking such an obvious question.

Her mouth opened to retort, but then it occurred to her that they never did finish their conversation from last night. They had gotten too caught on what an adventurer was after Crystal let her unfamiliarity towards the occupation slip. To which, she was now well aware of the venturous and varying profession, but it wasn’t so simple to say she remembered it now after last night. Or, perhaps, it was and she was simply overthinking it. Regardless of whatever option it fell under, Crystal figured it best to continue playing dumb on the subject matter.

“No reason, just… thought I’d ask.” her shoulders shrugged slightly, playing the question off as casual and insignificant. Either she’d tell her without prompting or there would be a better time to ask later.

They were starting to close in on the gateway to the small village, just a few more steps and she’d be crossing under the carved, arching wood. Her eyes looked upward to the top, spotting carved diamonds along branching paths that spread from the center. These diamonds, contrary to the plain, wood color of their background, were painted in brilliant colors of gold and crimson and cerulean and mint. The colors were bright and fresh, appearing to receive constant maintenance to keep it looking nice.

“Halt!”

The sudden voice came in too sudden for Crystal and her distracted state of mind as she instantly bumped into Emizella’s backside. Although, it felt more like a wall as the riolu still stood perfectly still and steady. She would have assumed the other felt nothing if not for the brief glance she sent over her shoulder.

“State your business,” the voice commanded, a quick peak past the blue body in front of her confirmed the voice to belong to a torracat.

“Are we seriously doing this again?” Emizella asked with a raised brow.

“I wasn’t talking to you, this time… I was talking to her.” A clawed paw pointed towards Crystal, still hiding behind her guide.

“Who, me??” her long ears became more erect along with her tensing body.

“Yeah you. I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Which is a problem ‘cuz I pretty much know every face that passes through here. And an even bigger problem if you’re a troublemaker.” The feline closed in on her, pushing her face uncomfortably close with a scowl glued to her brows. “So, state your business.”

Before Crystal could even find the words to respond, an interceding paw broke the overbearing eye contact from connecting any longer. “Calm down, Jesse, she’s with me. We’re just here for supplies and pancakes.”

“A likely story,” her golden eyes narrowed, filled with skepticism and doubt.

“Which part, the one about the supplies or pancakes?” Emizella’s brow raised with a paw pressed sturdily to her hips.

“How about both!” The blazing bell around the torracat’s neck lit up brightly. Her gaze turned towards Crystal, startling the little fox as she was abruptly brought back into the conversation, “I’m keeping my eyes on you. You may have Emi fooled with your adorable baby face but you can’t fool me.”

_Wait, did she just call me adorable?_ Instantly, the tension in her shoulders faded away, relaxing and letting her body raise up a little. She couldn’t help but stare into the torracat’s eyes, waiting to see if she’d take notice by herself the implications of her own words. That, and she wanted to get back at her for her play at intimidation.

“Wha-what? What’re you staring at, huh??” she took a step away from the unblinking, anticipating gaze.

It appeared that she didn’t realize what she had said but Emizella did and it had her snickering at her feline friend’s increasingly confused expression.

“So you got it.” she asked as her body turned to look at Crystal, “Jesse may act tough but that’s just a show for newcomers. Everyone knows she’s just a softie.”

An incredulous look slowly grew and rose in intensity in the feline’s gold and crimson eyes, “D-Don’t go telling her that!! How’s she gunna take me seriously if you call me a softie in front of her??” she asked, her voice distraught and troubled.

Her dismay was of little concern to Emizella as she continued to chuckle to herself, “Alright, introductions.” Her laughter finally calmed down as she gestured towards the black and red fire cat pokemon, “This is Jezebel, the gate guard. She may be dense sometimes and a softie most of the time, but she’s actually pretty capable.”

“I am _not_ a softie!” Jezebel flared up, the bell around her neck growing bigger and glowing hotter.

“Jesse!”

But then, a sudden call quickly extinguished the flames, her demeanor become docile and tame as she turned her head back towards the calling voice.

“Yes, Lillian?” she responded cheerfully.

For a moment, Crystal wasn’t sure if this was the same torracat who was interrogating and trying to scare her just a moment ago. The shift was too sudden, too abnormally sudden, to be anywhere close to a natural response. But here she was, smiling with a gentle disposition at the brionne dragging herself along the ground with a parcel wrapped securely around her neck.

“You forgot your lunch again.” Lillian stated as she untied the knot holding the violet, star speckled wrapping in place. A flipper stretched over to pass along the pouch, “How many times does that make this week?”

 “Um…” Jezebel thought for a second as she reached to grab for it, “Three…?”

“And it’s only Wednesday!” her voice raised in a stern tone, making the other flinch. She sighed, releasing the meal to her stilled paw, “Honestly… you ought to be more observant, you know?”

“I am observant! Just not with the little things…” she muttered, her eyes sheepishly avoiding the firm, scolding gaze. “Look, I might be slipping a bit, but that’s just cuz nothing really goes on around here. And you’re _so_ dependable, I can’t help but rely on you to pick up my slack.” Her eyes peered back at the brionne, begging and pleading for her annoyance to subside.

And, for a moment, it worked. The reprimanding stare faltered, nearly giving into those gentle, golden orbs, before closing her eyes in a reaffirming huff. “That’s not going to work this time.” she crossed her flippers over her chest, although her tone’s intent sounded more for convincing herself than the feline.

“C’mon, not even a little bit??” Jezebel implored, inching in a bit closer to amplify the effect of her “forgive me” face.

A brief, subtle peak crossed Lillian’s blue eyes before finally taking notice of the pair whose visit was being held up by their bickering. Her body shifted to the side, getting a better look at the familiar face, “Emi! How long have you been there?”

“Um… the whole time…?” Emizella answered, brow raised and a soft chuckle on her lips.

“Really??” she gave a light gasp, “I wasn’t expecting you for a while longer.”

“Yeah, well, there’s been a bit of a change in circumstances.” She gave a short shrug of her shoulders, her words drawing the brionne’s attention to the golden figure standing behind her as silent as her shadow.

“Oh. My. Goodness! You’re so cute!”

Instantly, Crystal found herself enveloped within the confines of her flippers, being hugged and squeezed without any reservation. The sudden act had her froze in place, the only movement coming from her eyes that darted over towards Emizella for some kind of explanation. Unfortunately, her lifeline offered no excuse, only shaking her head in nonverbal communication.

Lillian babbled away into Crystal’s ears, admiring her fluffy tufts and her small head and her full tail. At one point, she could have sworn she called her a “floof baby”, which she couldn’t even get mad at as the word tickled her insides and erupted a giggle.

But then, the babbling abruptly stopped, her eyes staring back at Jezebel with a sharp turn of her head, “Jesse, you weren’t bullying her before I came, were you??” she asked, her stare so mercilessly intense that it broke the accused into a cold sweat.

“What? Me? No way, I would never!” she stated but the look in her eyes didn’t relent. “Really and truly! I mean, what kind of guard would I be if I did??” she forced out a laugh that sounded a bit too nervous to be carefree.

Lillian’s dagger of a gaze stared for a while longer before her smile returned to her face, “What a relief!” her cheerful tone lightened the atmosphere, allowing Jezebel to take a breath at last.

“Whipped…” Emizella whispered softly, her voice bordering on the line between mouthing and speaking.

Jezebel let out a soft grunt in response but dared not say anything less she drew attention back to herself. And not the fun kind, either.

“Anyway, you’re new, right? Let me show you around!” the aquatic pokemon insisted, her tone already telling that she refused to take “no” for an answer.

“I mean,” Crystal’s voice spoke up, sounding soft pressed against Lillian’s cool body, “Emizella was taking me for pancakes first…”

“At Mrs. B’s?” she asked, confirming the information with a quick glance at the riolu, “Then I’ll go with you!” She gave one last quick squeeze before scooting along past the village opening.

Crystal watched her for a moment. She seemed rather imposing, a sense of assertive boldness that could not, and would not, be denied. But she wasn’t a bad pokemon. A bit overly familiar with new people, but not bad. She gave Emizella a quick look, affirming that the decision was hers to make before sending her own smile Lillian’s way. “If it’s not too much trouble...”

She clapped her flippers together joyously, “Great! You won’t regret this. When it comes to this village, I’m the go to person for tours.”

Crystal could only nod her head in agreement, not having any reference to go by to either contradict or confirm the declaration. She followed behind Emizella, walking under the archway and past Jezebel who gave a scripted send-off to the pair as they made their way.

Her eyes looked back at the torracat for a second after passing, catching her flicking her claws from her narrowed gaze to Crystal’s figure. A shiver went down the fennekin’s spine at the gesture before rolling her eyes upward. Already she had met a pair that completely wore her out, and she was only a few steps past the gate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out longer that the previous two but I couldn't see myself cutting it shorter. Just didn't feel right. But I don't know, I'm still pretty new to giving my longer running stories physical form outside my head. Please feel free to let me know what you think!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for taking this first step into this journey with me. Comments and constructive critique are always welcomed and very much appreciated.


End file.
